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Actually I was unable to find a user manual for download, but here is a link to adding a hard drive which includes opening the case. Of course, they also say this procedure may not be the same for all systems.

unfortunately it was evidently not my case type. I'm not sure if it is even supposed to come off, but i've never heard of a case that doesn't. It would be kind of stupid to make something that can't be fixed. And it IS a Compaq, they had to know it would break at some point.

I had a totally embarassing moment in front of my parents, who finally took the plunge and asked me to get them a computer.

Despite the fact that I have been using PCs even before the IBM PC, that I have assembled them from scratch and despite the fact that I made a living for years repairing PCs, I couldn't crack their small form factor Compaq EVO open to install the modem. It had two push buttons on the side. I pushed them in and tugged with all my considerable strength. I took a flat head and pried the part of the case that was supposed to slide. I scratched my head.

Finally I sent my dad to the basement to find a screwdriver to dissasemble the back panel. It was at that point that it magically came apart.

Since the early 286 days, most compaqs have had a sliding mechanism - they have little catches that require you to slide it over an inch or so, then it will be free of the catches and easily slide off. Its counter intuitive but you actually have to push down before it will slide.

If its a desktop case, not a tower, then I would bet dollars to doughnuts that the top and sides slide off as one piece - that what I was inelegantly referring to before. Like I said, after you have undone any screws in the back that may connect it to the rest of the case, try pushing down and back. Though in the case of the EVO for my parents, the front of the case came too, and I had to push down and forward, while at the same time pushing in the two buttons on the side.

Do you have a picture that we can view - if you go to the compaq website can you find the equivalent?

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